Goverdhan Lal Karyana Store

I’ve been running Goverdhan Lal Karyana Store for a long time now at 3160, Madhopuri. This part of Ludhiana has changed a lot, but the shop stays pretty much the same. We have the big sacks of rice and pulses sitting right on the floor because they are too heavy to lift onto the high shelves. The walls are painted a pale blue that’s peeling a bit near the corners. It’s a small space, so you have to walk carefully so you don’t knock over a stack of soap bars or a pile of salt packets. My hands are usually a bit dusty from weighing out the sugar and flour for people. We use an old metal scale for some things and a digital one for others. In the mornings, the milk delivery comes early, so I have to be here before the sun is even fully up. Madhopuri is a crowded area, so there’s always someone shouting outside or a bike horn honking. I keep a small radio on the shelf behind me just to hear the news or some old songs. Most people who come in are neighbors I’ve known for years, so we talk about the weather or how expensive everything is getting. It’s just a regular karyana shop, nothing more, nothing less, just keeping things moving one day at a time.